Birth Injuries
Attorney Daniel Newlin is proud to have successfully represented individuals who have been seriously injured or lost loved ones in a birth related injury in Florida. Attorney Daniel J. Newlin is eminently qualified to provide you with prompt, aggressive and experienced legal representation.
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The tragedy of a birth related injury or death case can be overwhelming. Attorney Daniel Newlin has assembled a team of skilled and compassionate Florida birth injury and death attorneys. Attorney Daniel Newlin and his law partners stand ready to assist you and guide you through the complex maze of issues that arise under any wrongful death scenario.
If you have lost a baby or your baby has suffered serious injury, you need a strong, skilled, and empathetic Florida trial attorney advocate to represent your interests. Facts must be investigated and evidence must be preserved. While no amount of money can restore your loved one to you, our team of experienced attorneys and investigators will aggressively strive to financially compensate you and your family for your loss
The process of labor and delivery is highly complicated and extremely unpredictable. As parents, we trust that our doctors and medical professionals will guide us through the process of childbirth with the highest standards of care. Each doctor must be able to make split-second decisions to protect the health and safety of the newborn. It is when trained physicians fail to notice warning signs or deviate from the accepted standards of care that children are harmed unnecessarily.
The most serious birth injuries are those that affect a child's brain. A lack of oxygen during delivery (hypoxia), or bleeding within the skull or brain is usually what causes birth injuries and often results in irreversible brain damage. A shortage of oxygen can be caused by a number of things, including an unusual birth position, the placenta separating from the uterus wall too early, a problem with circulation in the umbilical cord, or a labor that is too long or too short. Most medical malpractice claims that stem from this cause of injury allege that doctors or medical professionals failed to anticipate, recognize or react to these dangerous scenarios. Use of excessive force, failure to properly anticipate the size of the child, and failure to order a C-section are other factors that can lead to birth injuries.
The investigation of a Birth Injury claim is complex and requires the experience and expertise that Attorney Daniel Newlin, and his fellow law Partners and medical experts provide It is important that you take immediate action to look into a potential medical malpractice claim as time may be running out and valuable evidence may not be available later...If you have a loved one that has been a victim of a Birth Injury, Click Here for a Free Birth Injury Case Evaluation.
Erb's Palsy or Brachial Palsy
Sometimes during delivery of a large baby, the baby's shoulder has difficulty passing through the birth canal after the head has already been delivered. This results in a distension or stretching of the neck in an excessive manner which causes nerve damage. The nerves that are damaged are a cluster called the brachial plexus. These nerves run from the spine to the shoulder and control the mechanisms of movement of the hand, arm and shoulder.
When brachial nerve damage occurs because of excessive delivery forces, the result can be stretched nerves, ruptured nerves, or avulsion (where the nerves are pulled from the spinal cord). Rupture and avulsion require surgery later on to correct the nerve damage, whereas stretching of the brachial plexus can correct itself without surgery in a few years. When the lower brachial plexus is damaged during delivery, the condition is referred to as Klumpke's Palsy. Klumpke's Palsy decreases the functionality of the wrist and the hand, whereas injuries to the upper brachial plexus (Erb's Palsy) affect the arm and the shoulder.
When malpractice occurs, it may be because the doctor negligently failed to recognize the signs indicating the presence of a large baby and/or failed to perform an ultrasound study on the fetus. Some of the signs suggestive of a large baby are an obese mother, excessive weight gain of the mother during pregnancy, a mother who delivered a previous baby that was large, or a mother with pregnancy diabetes.
Malpractice may occur when the doctor negligently fails to recognize a large baby and timely perform a C-section, or the doctor fails to use the proper delivery techniques such as applying supra-pubic pressure or the McRoberts maneuver.
Birth Injuries
Klumpke's Palsy
Klumpke'sPalsy is a type of Brachial Plexus injury of a child's lower brachial plexus, affecting the muscles of the forearm and hand. Klumpke's Palsy is characterized by a lack of movement in a child's wrist or hand.
Horner's Syndrome
Horner's Syndrome is a type of Brachial Plexus injury that affects the facial nerves. Horner's Syndrome is a rare condition that results in ptosis of the eyelid and pupil dilation. Symptoms associated with Horner's Syndrome are constricted pupils, elevation of the eyelid, retraction of the eyeball into the head, slight drooping of the eyelid, and increased pink color and warmth of the ear and nose.
Complete Palsy
Complete Palsy is an injury to the entire Brachial Plexus. All the nerves of the Brachial Plexus are damaged to some extent.
Shoulder Dystocia
Shoulder dystocia results from a difficulty during birth in which the shoulders will not pass through the mother's pelvis. Complicated maneuvers must be performed, often resulting in injury, or shoulder dystocia. Some types of shoulder dystocia injuries are fractures of the clavicle or humerus, nerve injuries, asphyxia and death. Brachial plexus injuries may result from shoulder dystocia and is one of the most common groupings of birth injuries.
Other Birth Injuries
Other types of birth injuries include:
* Fractures- fractures of the clavicle or collarbone are most common
* Intracranial hemorrhage- bleeding in the baby's head
* Spinal cord trauma
* Cephalohematoma- an area of bleeding beneath the scalp, can lead to jaundice
* Cranial nerve trauma
* Caput succedaneum- swelling, bleeding, bruising, or discoloration of the scalp
* Depressed skull fractures
* Bruising/forceps marks
* Facial paralysis
* Temporary body paralysis
* Group B strep infections- a life threatening bacterium
* Spasticity- a condition in which certain muscles are continuously contracted
Attorney Daniel Newlin believes that it is imperative to educate parents on birth injuries caused by medical malpractice and raise awareness about birth injuries that could have been prevented. If you are the parent of a child with a birth injury, find out why and how it happened. Ask questions and, more importantly, consult with Attorney Daniel Newlin right away. Below we've listed a variety of resources for you to find out more about your child's injury and collaborate with other parents and professionals who can offer support.
General Birth Injury Resources
National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC)
1-800-346-2742
www.naric.com
National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)
203-744-0100
1-800-999-NORD
www.rarediseases.org
March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation
1-888-MODIMES (663-4637)
www.modimes.org
National Easter Seal Society
(rehabilitation, research, counseling, therapy, etc.)
1-800-221-6827
www.easter-seals.org
National Institute for the Severely Handicapped
www.nish.org
InjuredNewborn.Com
www.injurednewborn.com
Child Health Monitor
www.childhealthmonitor.org
Research and articles on child health issues
The Merck Manual - Birth Trauma
www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual/section19/chapter260/260f.htm
Learning Disability Association of America (LDA)
www.ldanatl.org
Association for Retarded Citizens (ARC)
www.thearc.org
The Neurology Channel
www.neurologychannel.com
Kidpower
www.kidpower.org
National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY)
www.nichcy.org
Cerebral Palsy Resources
United Cerebral Palsy Association
1-800-USA-5UCP (872-5827)
www.ucp.org
MedLinePlus Encyclopedia: Cerebral Palsy
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000716.htm
Cerebral Palsy: Hope Through Research
www.ninds.nih.gov/health_and_medical/pubs/cerebral_palsyhtr.htm
Special Children's Glossary: What you need to know about Cerebral Palsy
www.specialchildren.about.com/library/blcpglossary.htm
AmericanAcademyof Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (AACPDM)
www.aacpdm.org/home.html
HemiKids- Network of Children with Spastic Hemiplegic CP
www.hemikids.org
Cerebral Palsy and Deaf Organization
www.cpado.org
Cerebral Palsy Information and Resources
www.cerebralpalsylawyers.com
Brachial Plexus Injury Resources
Brachial Plexus Palsy Foundation
610-792-0974
www.membrane.com/bpp
National Brachial Plexus/Erb's Palsy Association
920-836-3843
www.nbpepa.org
United Brachial Plexus Network
1-866-877-7004
www.ubpn.org
Erb'sPalsy Information and Resources
www.erbspalsy.com
NINDS Brachial Plexus Birth Injuries Information Page
Brachial Plexus Palsy Books (order online)
Prevent Erb's Palsy
The Brachial Plexus Info page
Assistive Technology Links
"Brachial Plexus Injuries in the Newborn"
Related Articles
"Birth Injury with Various Methods of Delivery"
"Medical Errors kill tens of thousands annually"
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